[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 84 (Thursday, May 26, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S3320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4296. Mrs. SHAHEEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by her to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       Insert after section 332 the following:

     SEC. 332A. REVISED POLICY ON GROUND COMBAT AND CAMOUFLAGE 
                   UTILITY UNIFORMS.

       (a) Establishment of Policy.--Not later than October 1, 
     2018, the Secretary of Defense shall eliminate the 
     development and fielding of Armed Force-specific combat and 
     camouflage utility uniforms and families of uniforms in order 
     to adopt and field a common combat and camouflage utility 
     uniform or family of uniforms for specific combat 
     environments to be used by all members of the Armed Forces.
       (b) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection (c), 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     a military department may not adopt any new camouflage 
     pattern design or uniform fabric for any combat or camouflage 
     utility uniform or family of uniforms for use by an Armed 
     Force, unless--
       (1) the new design or fabric is a combat or camouflage 
     utility uniform or family of uniforms that will be adopted by 
     all Armed Forces;
       (2) the Secretary adopts a uniform already in use by 
     another Armed Force; or
       (3) the Secretary of Defense grants an exception based on 
     unique circumstances or operational requirements.
       (c) Exceptions.--Nothing in subsection (b) shall be 
     construed as--
       (1) prohibiting the development of combat and camouflage 
     utility uniforms and families of uniforms for use by 
     personnel assigned to or operating in support of the unified 
     combatant command for special operations forces described in 
     section 167 of title 10, United States Code;
       (2) prohibiting engineering modifications to existing 
     uniforms that improve the performance of combat and 
     camouflage utility uniforms, including power harnessing or 
     generating textiles, fire resistant fabrics, and anti-vector, 
     anti-microbial, and anti-bacterial treatments;
       (3) prohibiting the Secretary of a military department from 
     fielding ancillary uniform items, including headwear, 
     footwear, body armor, and any other such items as determined 
     by the Secretary; or
       (4) prohibiting the Secretary of a military department from 
     issuing vehicle crew uniforms.
       (d) Registration Required.--The Secretary of a military 
     department shall formally register with the Joint Clothing 
     and Textiles Governance Board all uniforms in use by an Armed 
     Force under the jurisdiction of the Secretary and all such 
     uniforms planned for use by such an Armed Force.
       (e) Limitation on Restriction.--The Secretary of a military 
     department may not prevent the Secretary of another military 
     department from authorizing the use of any combat or 
     camouflage utility uniform or family of uniforms.
       (f) Guidance Required.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
     issue guidance to implement this section.
       (2) Content.--At a minimum, the guidance required by 
     paragraph (1) shall require the Secretary of each of the 
     military departments--
       (A) in cooperation with the commanders of the combatant 
     commands, including the unified combatant command for special 
     operations forces, to establish, by not later than 180 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, joint criteria 
     for combat and camouflage utility uniforms and families of 
     uniforms, which shall be included in all new requirements 
     documents for such uniforms;
       (B) to continually work together to assess and develop new 
     technologies that could be incorporated into future combat 
     and camouflage utility uniforms and families of uniforms to 
     improve war fighter survivability;
       (C) to ensure that new combat and camouflage utility 
     uniforms and families of uniforms meet the geographic and 
     operational requirements of the commanders of the combatant 
     commands; and
       (D) to ensure that all new combat and camouflage utility 
     uniforms and families of uniforms achieve interoperability 
     with all components of individual war fighter systems, 
     including body armor, organizational clothing and individual 
     equipment, and other individual protective systems.
       (g) Repeal of Policy.--Section 352 of the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84, 
     123 Stat. 2262; 10 U.S.C. 771 note prec.) is repealed.
                                 ______